Liverpool again without a win: Víctor Muñoz rescued a point against Nottingham Forest in dramatic 2:2 draw
Liverpool remained without a win even after the second round of the new Premier League season. Andoni Iraola's team had to come from behind twice at Anfield on August 29 against Nottingham Forest, with the match ending 2:2 after Víctor Muñoz scored his first goal for the club in the 82nd minute and prevented a home defeat. Forest took the lead through Dan Ndoye in the 24th minute, Alexander Isak equalized at 1:1 exactly on the hour mark, and Morgan Gibbs-White restored the visitors' advantage from the penalty spot in the 70th minute. Liverpool, however, found another response and Muñoz secured a point with a powerful strike eight minutes before the end.
For Liverpool, the result is almost a replica of the league opener against Newcastle United, which also ended 2:2. Iraola's team therefore has two points after two rounds and is still waiting for its first league victory under the new coach. According to Liverpool's official report, 60,415 spectators watched the match at Anfield, and the home side showed considerably more intensity in the second half than before the break. Still, two comebacks were not enough for a complete turnaround, which Iraola himself highlighted after the match as a reason for dissatisfaction.
Forest more dangerous in the first half and deservedly took the lead
Liverpool opened the match with plenty of possession, but without the necessary control in the moments when they lost the ball. Nottingham Forest showed early that they had not come to Anfield simply to defend deep without ambition going forward. According to the home club's official report, Jérémy Jacquet had to intervene in a very dangerous situation after Ola Aina sent a deep ball toward the penalty area and Igor Jesus got an opportunity in close proximity to goal. Milos Kerkez then blocked another attempt by the visiting striker, while Ndoye headed the ball wide after a cross from James McAtee.
Forest's pressure paid off in the 24th minute. The visitors won and brought a long ball under control, shifted the focus of the attack toward Ndoye, and the Switzerland international entered the penalty area and beat Alisson with a low shot for 0:1. It was a goal that reflected the course of the first half: Liverpool had more of the ball, but Forest were more direct, better organized in transition and more effective whenever they reached the final third.
The home side soon thought they had returned to the match. Florian Wirtz sent the ball into the net after turning in the penalty area, but the goal was ruled out after a VAR review because Jeremie Frimpong had been offside at the start of the move. Liverpool created several more situations before the break. Wirtz forced Matz Sels into a save after a cross from Cody Gakpo, while Muñoz shot just wide after another Gakpo move. At the other end, Alisson made an important intervention to prevent Igor Jesus from giving Forest a 2:0 lead before half-time.
Iraola admitted: the first half was not good enough
After the match, Andoni Iraola did not try to soften his assessment of Liverpool's performance before the break. At the press conference, he said his team's first half was poor, that Liverpool did not control the match well enough and that they played with greater intensity, speed and urgency in the second half. He emphasized that victories are expected at home and that a draw at Anfield cannot be a satisfactory result for Liverpool, regardless of the fact that the team avoided defeat twice.
He particularly warned about the play without the ball. According to Iraola's explanation, Liverpool were too passive in the first half, left excessive gaps between the lines and allowed Forest to connect passes without enough pressure. Such an approach then also had a negative effect on their attacking play, because after winning possession the home side could not attack from favorable situations. Iraola also singled out the defending following throw-ins as a problem, something that would prove especially important in the visitors' second goal.
That analysis fits into the broader picture of Liverpool's start to the season. In the first round against Newcastle, the team also had to come back from a deficit, and only in the ninth minute of stoppage time did Dominik Szoboszlai secure 2:2 from the penalty spot. Two consecutive draws with four goals conceded show that the team under the new coach is still searching for a balance between an aggressive attacking idea and defensive stability.
Isak brought the equalizer after Liverpool's best move
After the break, Liverpool raised the tempo and increasingly managed to keep Forest deeper in their own half. The visitors' defense withstood the pressure for a while, but in the 60th minute it gave way after one of Liverpool's quickest and most precise moves of the match. Wirtz was involved in starting the attack, Gakpo escaped two opponents on the right side and sent a low ball across the six-yard box, and Isak finished the move at the far post for 1:1.
For the Swedish striker, it was his first league goal of the season, but after the match he did not hide the fact that the result left a feeling of a missed opportunity. In a statement to TNT Sports, relayed by Liverpool, Isak emphasized that the team does not lack fighting spirit or the desire to come back, but that it must make better use of periods in which it seizes the momentum of the match. That once again proved decisive: Liverpool equalized, lifted the atmosphere in the stadium and looked ready for a complete turnaround, but only ten minutes later they were behind again.
Isak also said that the team needs time to fully adopt Iraola's style of play. The new coach took over Liverpool at the beginning of June 2026 following Arne Slot's departure, and the club appointed him after three seasons at Bournemouth. When presenting the new coach, Liverpool highlighted Iraola's attacking approach and his success at his previous club, which finished sixth in the Premier League in his final season and qualified for European football. The beginning of the new era at Anfield, however, has so far been marked by draws and by the need to turn ideas from the training ground into more stable competitive performances.
Quick throw-in, Alisson's foul and another blow for Liverpool
The key moment for Nottingham Forest's renewed lead came in the 70th minute. Liam Delap, who had come off the bench, quickly took a throw-in on the left side and found Neco Williams in space. The former Liverpool defender moved toward the penalty area, while Alisson rushed out to close down the situation. According to Liverpool's official report, the home goalkeeper brought Williams down, after which a penalty was awarded. Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White took responsibility and scored for 1:2.
The situation caused additional frustration on the Liverpool bench because Iraola had wanted to make a triple substitution before the move. After the match, he said the substitutions had been requested several minutes earlier but were not made even though the ball had gone out of play several times. According to him, the fourth official had a problem with the electronic substitution board, and Liverpool were waiting for the new players to enter when the throw-in was taken quickly. Iraola did not directly dispute the awarding of the penalty itself, but instead emphasized the entire sequence of events that preceded the situation.
Regardless of the procedural frustration, the goal once again exposed Liverpool's vulnerability immediately after getting back into the match. The team also quickly lost its balance after equalizing against Newcastle in the first round, and the pattern repeated itself at Anfield. That is precisely why Iraola insisted after the match on greater concentration, more aggression without the ball and better control of transitional phases.
Muñoz's first goal for the club prevented defeat
Liverpool did not collapse even after conceding the second goal. Iraola turned to his substitutions, and the home side continued to search for space around Forest's penalty area. The equalizer arrived in the 82nd minute after a combination between two players who had started the match. Wirtz played Muñoz through on the right side of the penalty area, the Spanish winger turned toward goal and struck powerfully, and the ball, with a slight touch off a defender, hit the underside of the crossbar and ended up in the net.
It was Muñoz's first goal for Liverpool, and it came in his first start for the club. Iraola included him in the starting lineup as one of two changes from the match against Newcastle, while Alexis Mac Allister also came into the starting eleven. Muñoz had previously been involved in the move in the opening round from which Liverpool won the late penalty for 2:2, meaning that in his first two league matches he had already directly influenced two important comebacks by his team.
Liverpool supporters chose Muñoz as the club's player of the match after the game. Iraola also praised his persistence, emphasizing that the young winger keeps trying even when some decisions or actions are not ideal. The coach particularly highlighted the fact that Muñoz creates an attacking threat while also helping the team with defensive duties. For a player who is only just adapting to a new environment, a goal in front of the Kop and individual recognition represent a strong start to life at Anfield.
In the closing stages, Liverpool also tried to complete the turnaround. Dominik Szoboszlai threatened from a free kick, but the ball went wide of the far post. Forest withstood the final pressure and left Anfield with a point, even though they had led twice during the match and had several very good opportunities to extend their advantage.
Statistics reveal how dangerous Forest were despite having less possession
Possession could suggest that Liverpool dominated the match, but advanced metrics offer a more complex picture. According to data published by FotMob, Liverpool had approximately 70 percent possession and recorded 13 shots, while Nottingham Forest had 12 attempts. The same source gives Forest a higher expected-goals figure, or xG, confirming that the visitors created better-quality situations from less possession. Liverpool had more of the ball and greater territorial pressure, but Forest more often reached positions from which they could seriously threaten Alisson.
Opta Analyst highlighted several statistical curiosities after the match. Nottingham Forest led twice in a Premier League match without eventually winning for the first time since December 1994. The visitors arrived at Anfield seeking a third consecutive league victory at Liverpool's stadium, but Muñoz's late goal stopped them. Opta also states that Liverpool failed to win either of their first two league matches of a season for only the second time in the last 14 seasons; the previous such case was at the beginning of the 2022/23 season.
At the same time, Iraola extended his personal unbeaten run in the Premier League to 20 matches, counting the end of his spell at Bournemouth and his first two league matches with Liverpool. According to Opta, he became the first coach to achieve a run of 20 unbeaten league matches across spells at two different clubs. That statistic sounds positive, but two points from the first two rounds with Liverpool clearly show the difference between avoiding defeat and maintaining the pace required to challenge near the top of the table.
Forest again showed that Anfield suits them
In recent seasons, Nottingham Forest have increasingly found ways to cause Liverpool problems at their stadium. Organized defending, strong play in duels and quick breaks after winning the ball once again proved effective. Oliver Glasner's team did not try to compete with Liverpool in terms of possession, but built attacks through vertical passes, early progression toward the flanks and use of the space that opened up behind the home side's pressure.
Gibbs-White played a particularly important role. In addition to converting the penalty for 2:1, he was important in linking transitions and creating situations for his teammates. After the match, Opta highlighted his productivity during 2026: in the calendar year only Bruno Fernandes had more direct involvements in league goals, while Gibbs-White had, according to those figures, collected 13 goals and four assists. Such statistics further explain why he is one of the central figures in Forest's play.
For Glasner's team, the point at Anfield has additional value because of the way it was earned. Although Forest surrendered the lead twice, the away performance showed that the team can compete even against opponents who take overwhelming control of possession. At the same time, the fact that they failed to preserve their advantage leaves room for analysis of how the match was managed in its closing stages.
Iraola's transition is still ongoing, and the schedule leaves little room to wait
Liverpool appointed Iraola at the beginning of June as Arne Slot's successor, and the new coach inherited a team with great expectations and a clear obligation to compete for trophies. His previous work in the Premier League built his reputation as a coach who demands high intensity, brave pressing and quick attacks into space, but the first two competitive matches show that adaptation will not be automatic. The team has enough individual quality in attack to recover from unfavorable scorelines, but at the same time allows opponents too many clear chances in moments when the pressing structure is not synchronized.
After the draw with Forest, Iraola also said that he would be able to give a more complete assessment of the squad only after the summer transfer window closes. Until then, the emphasis is on working with the players who are available and creating clearer automatisms. In that context, the positive signs are Isak's goal, Muñoz's development and Wirtz's influence in creativity, but the coach will above all be looking for continuity throughout the entire match, rather than only strong reactions after conceding goals.
Liverpool's next league test will come on September 4 away at Ipswich Town, according to the official Premier League schedule. Nottingham Forest will then host Tottenham Hotspur on September 5. For Liverpool, that match will be another opportunity to finally turn two draws into a first victory of the season, while Iraola will be looking for what he emphasized most clearly after the match at Anfield: a better start, greater control and a performance that will not require another comeback from a deficit.
Sources:
- Liverpool FC - official match report, lineups, key incidents and attendance (link)
- Liverpool FC - Andoni Iraola's post-match press conference (link)
- Liverpool FC - Alexander Isak's reaction after the draw with Nottingham Forest (link)
- Liverpool FC - official confirmation of Andoni Iraola's appointment as head coach (link)
- Opta Analyst - statistical analysis of the match and historical data related to the 2:2 result (link)
- FotMob - possession, shots and expected-goals statistics from the Liverpool vs Nottingham Forest match (link)
- Premier League - official fixture schedule for the 2026/27 season (link)